It is known in the prior art to provide an electronic camera which uses an area image sensor. Digital images produced from the image sensor are stored in memory and these images can be shown on a display so that the user can determine which image should be stored for use in producing hard copy images. Typically, these images can be stored in a magnetic disk or a compact PCMCIA Flash RAM Card.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,301 an electronic camera is disclosed which includes a display device. The camera also includes a digital-to-analog converter which sends signals to the display. Also, the digital-to-analog converter selectively sends these images to a magnetic tape for storage. Images on the magnetic tape can then be produced as a hard copy by a printer which is provided on the camera. A problem with the approach in U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,301 is approach is that a print must be made in order for a user to determine whether it is satisfactory.
A shortcoming with prior electronic cameras is that the printer is spaced from the camera and must be electrically coupled to digital storage structure within the camera which frequently produces artifacts. Printers often use structure which provide relative movement of a head and a media sheet which induces artifacts into the output hard copy print and is therefore difficult to provide an effective structure mounted on a camera body.
With any of these camera systems, a print is made and then a user views the print to decide whether it is acceptable. Oftentimes, a print is unacceptable and another print must be made.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic camera with a printer which can effectively provide an improved hard copy print.
This object is achieved by an electronic camera, the improvement comprising:
a) means for focusing an image of a subject at an image plane; PA1 b) area image sensor means disposed at the image plane for receiving the image subject and producing a digital image representing the subject; PA1 c) storage means coupled to the area image sensor for storing the digital image of the subject; PA1 d) display means responsive to the digital image for displaying an image of the subject; PA1 f) image adjustment means initiated by a user after viewing the displayed image for varying parameters of the digital image to provide an improved digital image which is displayed by the display means; PA1 g) printer means being effective, in an operative condition, to be optically coupled to the display means for producing a hard copy of the improved subject display image produced by the display means; and PA1 h) logic and control means for selectively focusing an image of a subject on the area image sensor and for selectively causing the printer means to be effective in its operative position to make a hard copy representation of the displayed subject.
Advantages
It is an advantage of the present invention that improved hard copies can be made directly from an image display which is entirely satisfactory to a user.